16 Nov 2012 – At Grandfather Mt & Winery/NC
Wed: another beautiful day. Drove to Linn Cove Vioduct as the previous drive was in fog and poor visibility! A very short walk just to the bridge to check out the conditions on the Tanawha Trail from Rough Ridge Outlook, elevation 4,293’/1,308m. Tempting to continue but it has to be some other time…
Decided to pay US$15/S$18 for seniors to drive the 2.5mi/4km up Grandfather Mt, 5,946ft/1,812m and glad for that decision. The 360° views of the Smokies are just breath-taking. Walking alone across the Swinging Bridge was an experience, especially in the wind, thus also known as the Singing Bridge.
Grandfather Winery: a young (2011) family run-winery. The charming young host Dylan informed us they were closed but still let us taste and purchase. Being the only customers there made a real nice difference, unlike the experience at Banner Elk Winery which is more commercialize, thus less personal.
http://www.grandfathervineyard.com/
http://www.bannerelkwinery.com/
Had to drive thru’ Banner Elk to revive memories of Lees-McRae ( private U) when life’s journey crossed that path 7yrs ago; stayed in the dom for a couple of days to attend some classes about the AT then. Lunched at the Banner Elk Cafe***excellent hamburgers and good cakes.
Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art – Freya Stark
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Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Glad that you enjoyed the posting.
In fall 2002, Wolfe moved his attention from ASU to Lees-McRae. While working in the mountains of Banner Elk, he met a man who would show him his future—Angelo Accetturo. Accetturo owned a blueberry farm on the edge of town—on Gualtney Road off Highway 194—and was interested in making the plot a winery with the help of Wolfe. It was a rare find. Legend has it that the blueberry farm in question was the site of the last elk killed in the High Country. Originally, the Banner Family owned the property, thus the incident gained the name “Banner’s Elk,” reportedly where the origin of the town’s name.
Thanks for stopping by and for the piece of interesting info. Appreciate that you took the time to contribute to this posting.